Machine for making pulp-board.



H. A MOODY.

MACHINE FOR MAKING PULP BOARD.

APYLIOATION FILED 0013.29, 1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

FIG. 1.

Herberf A. M00021.

10cm to;

Patented Sept. 5, 1911.

H. A. MOODY.

MACHINE FOR MAKING PULP BOARD.

, APPLICATION FILED 001. 29, 1910.

1,002,425. 7 Patented pt. 5,1911.

4 S HEETSSHEET 2.

Patented Sept. 5, 1911.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

.v mrm H erber'i A. Moody.

q v'vlincoac a affozncl H. A. MOODY.

MACHINE FOR MAKING PULP BOARD.

APPLIOATION FILED 0M. 29, 1910.

1,002,425 Patented Sept. 5,1911.

4 SHEETSSHEET '4.

" UNITED A ES PATENT- mm,

. taln new and eating cutter HERBERT A. MOODY, OF HUDSON FAILS, NEW YORK.

MACHINE FOR MAKING PULP-BOARD.

' Specification of letters Patent.

Patented sept. 5, 1911.

Application filed October "29, 1910. Serial No. 589,826.

To all whom 'it mail concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT A. MooDY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hudson Falls, in the. county of Washington and State of New York, have invented ceruseful Improvements in Machines for Making Pulp-Board, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to 'machines for -making pulp board, and embodies the use of a mold -roll on which the pulp or fibrous material is collected and dried'by exhausting.

air from the roll, a couch roll to which the sheet of pulp is delivered from the mold roll, and a forming roll to which the sheet is delivered from the couch roll, and on which the sheet iswound and compressed, and finally out and delivered. I

The object of the invention is to provide an improved construction with respect to "the T11 various parts of such a machine, the improvements relating especially to the-means 'tor feeding the stuff to the mold roll, means for delivering the same to the respective rolls, and the means for cutting the completed sheets, the latter including a reciprowhich is automatically operated, avoiding the -hand operations heretofore employe A further object of the invention is toprovide improved means for supporting the rolls and imparting pressure thereto.

, The automatic operating devices for the cutter include an electric motor and a switch controlling the operation of said motor, the action of the switch being controlled by adjustable devices which permit a board of any desired thickness to be produced, the cutting action being eflected when the board reaches the required thickness.

Improvements are claimed with respect to various other details of the machine, as more fully pointed out hereinafter.

In the accompanying. drawings-Figure 1 is a plan of the machine. Fig. 2 is a central vertical cross section. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line H of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a similar section on the line 55 of Fig. 1. Figs. 6 and 7 are enlarged details oft-he cutter. 8, 9 and 10 are enlarged viewsin detail of the switch which controls the motor which operates the cutter.

ferring specifically to the drawings, 6

.of the roll and hydraulic indicates the mold roll, 7 the couch roll and 8 the forming roll. The mold roll ismade of two circular metal ends. 6*, with tubular trunnions 6 and inclined inner flanges 6 which space and support radial partitions 6 which connect the two ends. Around the outside edges orface of the partitions and extending from end to end of perforated metal cover 6 of any construc tion which will allow water to pass through but will'retain the pulp fiber. Bearings for the trunnions 6" are formed in the exhaust air chambers' 9. vIn the air chamber on each side of the machine is a cross bar 9 which supports. a pipe 10 which-extends through the center of the roll and is stationary. This pipe carries a metal pan 11 one side of which projects almost to contact with the inner part of the rim structure of the roll. e pan is of suitable shape to catch the water passing through the perforatedcover, and that part of. the through the pan is slotted as at 110? to drain the pan as it catches the water. The pipe also supports a valve 12, by means of arms 12, and this valve extends fromend to end bears against the inner edges of the partitions, as they rotate, and is wide enough to cut out two of the compartments between the partitions from the effect of the air suction, as shown in Fig.2.

. The air chambers at the ends of the roll are made in twoparts, the lower part 9 being stationaryand fixed to the base of the machine, and the upper part, 9, has an external flange 9 which works in an annular chamber 9 to which pressure may be supplied from any suitable source. The hydraulic pressure thus supports the roll, and by means of said pressure the mold roll is held up against the couch roll with a constant pressure, regardlws of the 'thickness of the pulp passing between said rolls, thus avoiding the danger of damage to the perforated cover with an unusually thick sheet of pulp, which damage is often realized with the customary spring used for. this purpose, the hydraulic pressure being constant under all conditions. Mounted above the moldroll is a stock box 13, supported by arms 13 extending from the top of the air chambers 9. The metal ends of this stock box fit in grooves 6 in the periphery of the ends of the mold preventing-stuff and water flowing over the the roll is a pipe l0 extending.

ends of the mold roll before the water is The drawn through the perforated cover. arm carrying the stock box is so arranged that-the box may be moved toward or from the couch roll .as desired', the box being supported by blocks 13 fitting in circumferentialways 13 in the ends of the arms and permitting said box to be shifted The box has a slide valve or gate 13- controlling the, flow of stuff therefrom. The-direction of rotation of the mold roll is toward the edge of the bottom of the stock box.

The air chambers at the ends of the mold roll communicate with exhaust mains 14,

and each of these mains communicates with e an air chamber 15 of the couch roll, a damper 1% being providedto control the suction from the .mold roll. and a valve 15* controlling the suction from the couch roll,

and by means of these dampers the effect of suction in the mold and couch rolls may J be regulated. The main air pipe 14, at each.

roll. By force of gravityjand the .partial vacuum within the'roll the water is drawn through the cover and into the pan and passes away through the pipe 10. This is believed to bean improvement over machines using a vatin which the mold roll operates, for with the exception of the two compartments which are shut off by the valve, the sheet of pulp is under direct action of the air passing through the sheet .for the entire circumference of the roll, instead of only a fraction of that c1rcumference, as with the yat machines, so that .with the same speed a drier sheet will be formed, or for the same degneeh of dryness the machine, may be run at a higher speed. This is an important advantage resultm -'fro1n'feeding the pulp from the box: instea of collecting the same it a Vat.

. The valve 12 shuts off the corresponding compartments just before they. reach the point of ontact with the couch roll- 7 .so

I that the suction within the couch roll may take the sheet from the .mold roll. The

respective rolls are driven my meshing spur gears -7 and 6 at one end thereof. I

The construction of the couch roll is similar to that of the mold roll withmespect .to

its end plates 7 hollow trunnions 7., partitions 7 and perforated cover 7, but its bearings formed by the air chambers '15'are stationary, andby means of cross bars 15 these air chambers support a stationaryshaft 7 which passes through the center of the roll, and this shaft carries a valve 16',

supported by arms 16. There is no pan and pipe. in this roll, as there is no water to carry off aside from what the air picks out of the sheet ,and conveys in the form of spray.- The valve 16 shuts off the air in a plurality of compartments, acting just before. they successively reach the point of contact with the forming roll, so that the forming roll may pick the sheet from the couch roll, and the valve is of such width that the suction does not again act in its compartments until the face isa ain sealed nthe side i of the couch roll bearing at one side of the with the pulp on the mold roll.

machine is a bracket 17 carrying a shaft 17 vwith a pinion 17 meshing with the gear 7 and a driving pulley 17 to rotate it. The couch and mold rolls are rotated by the gears, but the forming'roll 8 is driven by contact with" the couch roll.

,The sheet of pulp is wound, or rolled up' one layer on to of anotherv until the desired thickness is formed, when it is cut across 'andcremoved. In some machines it is necessary to stop the machine, in order to cut the sheet'and remove the same in the most convenient'wayby hand. The forming roll ofthe present machine has an automatic cutter, whereby the sheet isautomatically gagedfor thickness, and then cut, when itsforwardend drops 'onto the small rolls 18 by which it is gulded to the canvas belt 19 which carries it on for subsequent operation. Y

The forming roll is constructed 'of circularspiders 8 mounted on a shaft 8 and having asheet metal cover 8 securely fas tened to the'rims of the spiders, the shaft being mounted in hearings on the pillars 20 on the frame of the machine. At one point of the, circumference of the roll is a longitudinal groove or recess-formed by a boxor track 8 to receive the knife and carriage, whichtrack extends from end to end of the roll and beyond the platesat each end. This track is'undercut to receive the knife carriage, shown particularly in Figs. 6 and 7, the metal face of the roll being slotgroove through which runs a sprocket chain 22, which extends along the track and around the sprockets 22 supported at' the end thereof. Two tightener. sprockets 22 are provided inside the roll, on opposite sides of a driving sprocket 22, the sprockets'22e'fl;

being carried by the outer arnijs of bell cranks 22 the lower ends of-wh1chi may moved apart, to tighten the chain, by means of a right and left screw' rod 22 i the screw rod is formed by collars 22, nuts 22 and springs22 coiled around the rod between the collars and the nuts, the bell cranks being attached to the collars, and

the coiled springs acting as shock absorbers,

when the knife is started or stopped. The knife carriagerhas dogs 22 held down by springs 22 and these dogs engage in the chain to drive the knife carriage either way. At the ends .of the knife track are spring bumpers'8 and when the knife carriage reaches either end; of the track it will strike one of these bumpers and stop, the chain dropping through the bottom of the track and around the sprocket, and at this time the rear dog will drag on the moving chain and prevent t1 e knife carriage from bouncing back after strikingthebumper. hen the chain is run-in theopposite direction the knife carriage will be picked up and caused to travel back across the face of the roll.

, The chain is operated by an electric motor 23 mounted within the forming roll on the oppositeside of the ,shaft from the knife,

thereby serving to balance the roll. The motor shaft 23 is geared to a' shaft- 23 geared to another shaft 23,which is, geared to the shaft 23? sprocket 22, the shafts being providedwit'h suitablesupports in the roll and with bevel gearsadapted to the purpose.

When'one sheet is ready to be cut the'motor is run in one direction and thereby driven along the track and across the knife is the face of the roll in a correspondingdirection. When the 'nextfsheetis ready to'be out the current in the motor is reversed and "it is driven in .the opposite direction, and

the knife then travels backacross the roll.,

' This action is automatic-and is governed by the thickness at the sheet, and is accomplished by a' switch controlling the'motorcircuit, t v

The bearing boxes 24 for the shaft of the forming roll slide in T slot ways 24 at the top of the frames 20, in a direction toward or from the couch. roll. The forming roll is held with a constant pressure against the couchroll by means of hydraulic cylinders 25 the piston rods 25of which are connectedto the bearing boxes 2%, the cylinders being fastened-to the frame, therpressure being introduced into the cylinders from any suitable source on the side of the pietons opposite to the couch roll, and when the tail endof a' thick sheet; of pulp has passed? through the pinch between the forming and.

couch rolls the hydraulic-pressure returns the forming roll .sl'owly toward the couch roll, thus avoiding any damage toeither roll. I

'27 with a bushing 28 therein,

which carries the driving.

a contacts.

The bearing atfone endof the fo'rming v roll is equipped with an electric switch shown particularly in- Figs. 8, 9 and 10. A collar 26 is fastened tothe shaft, and this collar carriesafinger 26 projecting radially therefrom and pivotally connected thereto at 26, and held out at right angles to the .axis of rotation by a spring 26. Fastened to the outer end of the support for the bears ing is a small bracket 27 having a bearing and the inner end of the bearing is flanged as indicatedat 28 and has four electric connections or contacts 28 arranged on quarters around the same two connections being for the generator wires and two'for the motor wires, the motor wires being connected to a segmental contact pieces 28 fastened to the base, with which a pair of fingers 28 carried by the shaft come in: contact at each revolution vof the roll, the fingers being connected to the motor-by wires 28", whereby the motor circuit is closed as the shaft is rotated and whi-lethe contact pieces and fingers are in contact, Inside of the bearing 27 and rotating on the bushing 28 is a ratchet wheel 29-having four electric contact points 29* connected together in pairs corresponding to the four contacts 28 and arranged to close the contact therewith. The finger 26 is engageable with this ratchet wheel- Inside of the bushing 28 is a longitudinally movablebar 30- which" is non-rotatable and is movable lengthwise for adjustment. The

inner end of this bar has a cam 30- at tached thereto, and arranged to strikea-nd turn the fingerv 26 on its pivot as. itcomes around into position' to engage with the ratchet. inches and cap be adjusted to vary the distance of its cam. from the ratchet wheel. At

pair of This bar '30 is marked ofi into" one point on the finger 26 is anotch 26 through which the cam may pass 'when the" notch registers with the cam. At other times thefinger strikes the cam and is swung outwardly thereby so that it will not engage the ratchet wheel. 1

When the bar 30 is adjusted sothat its cam 30 is placed in position for any desired thickness of board, the pulp between the couch roll and the forming roll gradually forces the bearing of' the forming roll nearer to the ratchet, and at each revolution the cam strikes the finger and throws it out so that fit'will not engage the ratchet, untll the bearing carrying "the collar and the fifinger. has moved out far enough. for the notch'on the finger to register ,with the swung out engages with the ratchet and turns it one eighth revolution, theratchet having eightt'eeth spaced-apart corresponding to one half-the distance between the This closes two of the contacts and starts the motor which drives the knife cam, at which time the cam passes through L .the notch, and the finger, belng no longer 12 5 and cuts thesheet which then drops, off' onto the delivery rollsJand apron 19. At the same point of the next revolution the pulp board is still in the pinch between .the couch and forming rolls, and the action being the same the finger engages the ratchet again and turns the. same one eighth revolution thereby opening the'circuit and stopping the motor, and the board then passing from between the, rolls the hy-- draulic pressure returns the forming .roll to contact with the couch rollfor the next operation. The next time a-board of the same thickness is in the pinch, the ratchet is again turned one eighth revolution, bringing, the electric contacts together again, but this time in opposite relationship".

with respect to the positive and negative terminals, causing the current to flow to the motor in the opposite direction and consequently 'rotat-ingit in the opposite direction, and drivin the knife in-opposite direction along the track to cut oflthe next sheet.

.It will .be seen that by means described the thicknesslof the sheet maybe measured and controlled, and the knife actuated to .cut oifthe sheet automatically as soon as the. desired thickness is reached, and the 3.0 Y stopping the machine.

plied.

sheets may be cut and removed without Theinvention is not limited to the exact embodiment shown, but various modifications may be made within the scope. thereof, and no limitation in this respect is im- Having thus described invention;

what I claim as. new and'desire to secure by Letters Pfient is:

1. In a machine for making pulpboard, the combination of a perforated "molding roll, meanslto' flow pulp thereon at the upper part thereof to form. a sheet thereon, means to produce suction through the perforations in said roll, a couch roll cooperating with said molding roll to releasethe sheet therefrom at a" certain point on'th'e upper part of its surface, and a valve in the molding'roll arranged to prevent suction through the perforations in the part ofthe roll at said point, the" perforations in the roll .being otherwise open for the suction of air therethrough about the whole circumference of the roll.

2. A molding roll for a machine of the kindstated, having a perforated cover, a'

hollow trunnion and an exhaustconduit communicating therewith, awater pan lo-' the cover. I 3. The combination with a molding roll, of a stock box located beside the roll and arrangedto feed stuff onto the surface of cated in the roll and provided witha pipe leading therefrom and through the trunnion, and a valve supported on the pipe and controlling a portion of the perforations in the journals of the molding roll, and commimicating with the interior of said roll, and fluid pressure supports for said air chambers.

6. In a machine for making pulp board,'

the combination with molding and couch rolls, of tubular suction air chambers communicating with the interior of said molding roll and supporting the'journals thereof, the air chambers having two parts movable with. respect to each other, and fluid pressure supporting devices between said two parts.

'rolls,' of suction air chambers supporting 7. In a machine for making pulp board,

the combination ofa forming roll, acutter 8. In a machine for making pulp board,

the combination of a forming roll, a. cutter carried thereby, andamotor carried by the roll and operatively connected to the cutter- L to sever a sheet on the roll.

carried thereby, and a motor carried by the roll and operatively connected to the cutter, to sever a sheet on the roll during the ro-. tation thereof. i

- I 9. In a machine for making pulp board, the combination of a forming roll, a. cutter :carriedthereby and a motor carried by the roll and automatically actuated by the rotation of the roll to operate the cutter. 10. In a machine for making'pulp board, the combination of a forming roll, a cutter and its motor carried thereby, and means controlled bythe thickness of the sheet on the roll to actuate the motor and operate the outer to sever the sheet. 11. In a machine forma-king pulp board,

the combination-of a'forming roll, a cutter arranged to sever a sheet thereon, an electric motor operatively connected to the cutter, and a] switch operatingautomatically with the roll and controlling the motor circuit.

12. In a machine for making pulp board, the combination of'a forming roll, a cutter .carried thereby and adapted to sever a sheet thereon, an electric motor carried by the roll and operatively connected to the cutter and a switch operated by. rotation of the roll and controlling the motor circuit. 9

13; In a machine for making pulp board,

the combination of a forming roll, a cutter arranged to sever a sheet thereon, an electric motor operatively connected to' the cutter,

and a switch operating automatically with jecting through the slot and the roll and governed by the thickness of a sheet on the roll, to control the motor circuit.

14. In a machine for making pulp board, the combination of a forming roll having a track across its periphery, a knife carriage movable back and forth on said track, the knife being adapted to cut a sheet on the roll when moved in either direction, and means to drive the carriage. a

15. In a machine for making pulp board, the combination of a forming roll having a longitudinal slot behind said slot, and a cutter carriage movable back and forth along the track, the cutter projecting through the slot to sever a sheet on the roll, when moved in either direction.

16. In a machine for making pulp board, the combination of a forming roll having a longitudinal slot in its periphery, a track behind said slot, and a cutter/carriage movable back and forth along the track, the cutter projecting through the slot to sever a sheet on the roll, a belt carried by the roll and connected to the carriage to drive the same, and means to drive the belt.

17. In a machine for making pulp board, the combination of a forming roll having a longitudinal slot in its periphery, a track behind said slot, and a cutter carriage movable back and forth along the track, the cutter projecting through the slot to sever a sheet on the roll, a belt carried by the roll and connected to, the carriage .to drive the same, and means to drive the belt including a motor carried by. the roll and geared to the belt.

18. In a machine for making pulp board, the combination of a forming roll having a longitudinal slot in its periphery, a track located behind said slot and extending beyond the ends of the roll, and a cutter carriage movable on the track from one end to the other thereof, and having a cutter prov adapted to sever a sheet on the roll.

19. In a machine for making pulp board, the combination of a forming roll having a longitudinal slot in its periphery, a knife movable in said slot, to sever a sheet on the roll, adriven belt carried by the roll and operatively connected to the knife to move the same, and a belt tightener carried by the roll and engaging the belt.

20. In a machine for making pulp board,

in its periphery a track the combination of a forming roll having a longitudinal slot in its periphery, a knife movable in said slot, to sever a sheet on the roll, a driven belt carried by the roll and operatively connected to the knife to move the same, and a spring pressed belt tightener carried by the roll and engaging the belt.

21. In a machine for making pulp board, the combination of a forming roll having a slot across the same, a belt carried by the roll, a knife movable in said slot, a dog connectedto the knife and engageable with the belt, and means to drive the belt in either direction.

22. In a machine for making pulp board, the combination of a couch roll, a forming roll, pressure devices tending to force the forming roll toward the couch roll, a cutter for severing the sheet on the'forming roll, and means governed by the thickness of the sheet between said rolls and actuated by the movement of the forming roll from the couch roll to operate the cutter.

23. In a machine for making pulp board,

the combination of couch and forming rolls between which the sheet is pinched, pressure devices tending to force the rolls together and permitting the rolls to separate as the sheet therebetween increases in thickness, a cutter adapted to sever a sheet on the forming roll, and electric devices to operate the cutter, including a switchautomaticallyactuated by the rotation of one of said rolls when the sheet reaches the desired thickness.

24. In a machine for making pulp board, the combination of couch and forming rolls between which the sheet is pinched, pressure devices tending to force the rolls together and permitting the rolls to separate as the sheet therebetween increases in thickness, a cutter adapted to sever a sheet' on the forming roll, and electric devices to operate the cutter, including a switch automatically actuated by the rotation of one of said rolls when the sheet reaches the 'desired thickness, one of the switch members being ad- 1 just-able to produce its operation at a desired thickness of the sheet.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HERBERT A. MOODY. 

